


Side Dish: Matsutake Gohan

by parallelanprincess



Series: Hatsukoi No Kaori: Smells Like Teen Spirit [5]
Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Deliquent Backstory, F/F, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 23:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17191961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parallelanprincess/pseuds/parallelanprincess
Summary: In which Gaku Hikitsuri debates whether becoming a delinquent was the right choice. Or, the drawbacks of choosing the thug life.





	Side Dish: Matsutake Gohan

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr's dead, the Reddit's been..converted...and I overall am happier for it. I think I've reached a point where I can write fic and just...be. I'm trying to accept that I'm not really a part of the fandom even though I LOVE the source material. All the 'drama' really, really killed a lot of the better aspects of the fandom. I could go on with my rant but tldr
> 
> Some of the fandom are quite literally the worst aspects of everything wrong with Tumblr fandom culture.
> 
> Anyway
> 
> I wrote this

The sunlight shone through Gaku Hikitsuri's bathroom window, the brilliant rays illuminating his current dilemma. His blonde hair was beginning to fade away and reveal its original navy coloring. After spending months revitalizing it with a small army of shampoo and conditioner, Gaku's hair was finally starting to recover after his disastrous attempt at bleaching it. The impulsive decision supported by his group of friends as part of their mission to reinvent themselves. Gaku was the first to dye his hair to be more like the girl they all admired. Osoro was a shining light during a dark period of his life, a sun goddess with golden hair to match.

As with most disastrous endeavors, it seemed like a good idea at the time. When his hair started falling out two days later Gaku realized he made a terrible mistake using the cheapest bleaching kit he could find. He cried for hours before calling Hokuto to come over and save what little bits of hair that still clung to his scalp. He spent an entire weekend in that same bathroom watching YouTube videos on hair care on Hokuto's laptop. Eventually they realized they were fighting a losing battle and the only solution was shaving Gaku's hair as short as possible. The buzz cut did wonders to make him look more masculine and menacing. His friends decided they were ready to make the transition themselves, albeit after doing extensive research on proper bleaching methods. By the end of winter break all five of them were sporting various shades of yellow hair. To commemorate the occasion Hokuto had bought them graphic tee shirts to coincide with their new look.

They were all set to start the school year strong. They were smarter, more confident, and notorious. Musume and her girl squad were too intimidated to come near them. The other students kept their distance and cleared a path whenever they passed through. All their former tormentors now cowered in fear. It felt wonderful and terrible all at once. Gaku didn't want to be feared. He'd spent months living in fear and dreading the school day. He hated making others feel that way. Yet he had no choice. Akademi High held no sympathy for the weak, he evolved to survive. Staring into his bathroom mirror, he resolved to ask Hokuto help him touch up his hair to make the navy strands lighten.

“Coward,” he whispered at his reflection.

After brushing his teeth and shaving, he went to his mother's room to check on her. He was pleased to find she was sleeping soundly. Most of the time she was in such pain that she woke well before dawn. The doctors said she was steadily getting better each day. She was eating more often and showing less signs of fatigue. The nurse who cared for her when Gaku was at school said she was overall in a better mood. He was eternally grateful to his older brother for paying for his mother's expensive medical bills and Gaku's tuition.

He wasn't sure what Kenji did for a living aside from the fact that it paid well and made him work long nights. Gaku lied to Kenji and their mother whenever they asked about life at Akademi. He had good friends and decent grades, that was all they needed to know. Kenji wasn't around often enough to ask too many questions. Well, he did ask a lot of questions about Gaku's hair and what kind of people he was choosing to associate with.

He gently closed the door behind him. For breakfast he ate two partially burnt pieces of toast and swallowed down a bottle of Hetap before heading out. He caught the bus to Shimbashi Station, one drawback of attending the prestigious Akademi was the long commute. Buraza Town was on the other side of the ward. On most days, Gaku despised living in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. It was too bright, too loud, and overpopulated.

He had spent the first six years of his life in the sleepy town of Shirakawago nestled in the mountains. The small farmhouse his family resided in had been his whole world. On sunny days, Kenji took him fishing or bug catching. In the winter they built snowmen and igloos. He fondly remembered sleeping soundly beneath the thatched roof next to Kenji.

Boarding the train at Shimbashi Station was always a surreal experience. Gaku stuck out awkwardly among the other students on their way to school. His expensive black blazer in sharp contrast to the more commonplace gakuran of the local public high schools. That was without taking his blue and gold streaked hair into consideration. Most people gave him a wide berth. Adults scowled at him while the other students whispered about how someone like him could get into a prestigious place like Akademi. Some mornings he regretted taking that stupid entrance exam on a dare. He was never supposed to get in. Kenji had insistent on footing the bill and here he was over a year later. His brother said Akademi would change him for the better. Kenji was half right.

He got off at Eki Station wondering why he was in such a contemplative mood, it was only the second day of the new term. His mother always said that new years meant a new beginning yet here he was stuck in the past. Gaku reminded himself that there was no turning back, the only way to survive at that hellhole of a private school was to adapt to survive.

Hokuto and Dairoku were waiting for him outside of the station. Hokuto gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek as a form of greeting.

“Morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?” Hokuto asked.

“I'm not exactly beautiful. My roots are growing in. I slept alright til nii-chan came home. I swear he gets back later and later these days. He's been in a bad mood too,” Gaku said.

“Gaku, you worry too much. Your hair looks perfect as always. Don't worry too much about Kenji. These days everyone works overtime. Feels like I haven't seen my father in months.” Hokuto said.

Hokuto had come from a well off family that worked in finance. They were so well connected that Hokuto was accepted into Akademi based on recommendation rather than having to take the entrance exam. In many ways, he was the typical Akademi student. Rich, handsome, smart, and with a family so rich they could buy and sell you without a second thought. Gaku occasionally felt insecure dating someone so far out of his league. Meeting the love of his life was one of the few good things that happened over the past year.

“You're right. I wish he'd tell me what he does. All he says is that he works for a private business and his job is to protect its assets. I think he's a nighttime security guard at a bank or something,” Gaku said.

“I wonder which one. I could ask around for you if you want. Surely, someone knows about him,” Hokuto replied.

“If you two lovebirds are done flirting, I’d like to get to school early for once. School year just started and already feels like Kunahito’s riding our ass. Boss, says we’re all on thin ice with the administrators,” Dairoku said.

“Of course she is,” Hokuto sighed. “We should get going before it’s too late. There’s a new episode of Magical Girl Miyuki airing tonight and I’d hate to miss it for detention.”

Hokuto grabbed Gaku’s hand and smiled at him. Now that people were terrified of them, no one dared mock the two boys about their relationship. They weren’t the only gay students at Akademi. There were plenty of homosexual, bisexual, and even asexual members of the student body. However, most of their classmates came from traditional families. What was Akademi if not except an institution created to mold teenagers into the idealized versions of Saikou Corp employee? Hokuto and Gaku were the only openly gay couple at Akademi.

As they approached Akademi, Gaku watched as the other students walked through the school gates in their cliques. Clubs were like tribes, you stuck with your own kind. Part of what made Gaku and his friends targets was the fact that they didn’t want to join a club. When one person disliked you, their entire club did. He wasn’t sure what he did to make Sukoyaka hate his guts, the warm and inviting Cooking Club was unusually cold to Gaku. Hokuto had run afoul of the Occult Club, Dairoku was too slow to stay in the Sports Club. They had only each other during those awful weeks before they crossed paths with Osoro.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Check out Aishi and Green Green,” Dairoku said. He pointed to the trio of girls who usually walked to school side by side. Aishi, Gurin, and Dere went to middle school together or something so they stuck to themselves. They weren’t total bitches like Musume and her squad. From what he could tell the three were just nice girls who minded their business. Nothing remarkable about any of them.  
  
At least not until today.

Gurin and Aishi were practically hanging off of each other as they walked to school. The way Gurin looked at Aishi was the same way Hokuto looked at him. Her eyes were filled with stars as she chattered about something to her...girlfriend? Gaku couldn’t think of a heterosexual explanation for why the two girls were so entwined with each other.

“I suppose we aren’t the only ones anymore. We should go on a double date with them. They seem like sweet girls,” Hokuto mused.

“No way. Gurin talks too much,” Gaku chuckled.


End file.
